Combination of chairs and table



DeC. 13, 1955 M, Q BRn-T COMBINATION OF CHAIRS AND TABLE Filed May 20, 1954 m f V M mw ZL i H2 111153 qu m; lf lu M www; l ww@ 1 Aif I-gM w un.. mh, 1% u l W, m www y i El@ NVENTOR.'

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will, i l M W 7" ATTORNEY vUnited States Patent COMBINATIDN OF CHAIRS AND TABLE Marvin G. Britt, Joliet, lll.

Application May 20, 1954, Serial No.. 431,218

4 Claims. (Cl. 155-123) This invention relatesto a table and chairs therewith and more particularly it relates to the combination of chairs and table whereby the chairs are removably secured tothe underside of the table when they are not inuse.

There have been many attempts to find an appropriate combination of chairs and table wherein the chairs are secured'to or packagedv to the table. The primary disadvantages of most of such devices on the market and as found in the prior art are that they are overly complicated and as a result expensive to manufacture, cumbersome and unwieldy. Most of the prior art structures require extensive holding means or the folding of the table itself to house the chairs.

My invention overcomes these disadvantages in that it uses the legs of the table in combination' with a novel clip to removably house4 the. chairs to` the underside of the table when the chairs and table areV not in use. l have found, that by employing this novel combination, that the combination of chairsV and table. can be made inexpensively and without adding to the complexity of the manufacture or assembly of the chairs and table.

A general object of my invention, therefore, is the provision of a novel combination of chairs and table :hereby the chairs are removably secured to the underside of the table when the chairs and table are not upstanding.

Another object of my invention is to provide for the housing of chairs to the underside of the table by means which are inexpensive and relatively easy to manufacture and assemble without complicating the manufacture of the table or chairs.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel combination of chairs and table whereby the legs in combination with a novel clip act to removably secure a plurality of chairs to the underside of the table without substantially adding to the bulk or weight of the combination.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a novel combination of chairs and table whereby the chairs are removably secured to the underside of the table with a minimum of etort and time.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following description and by reference to the accompanying drawings of a preferred form of the invention, in which: Y

Figure l is a plan view of the bottom or underside of the table with a plurality of chairs secured thereto;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view partially in section taken on line 2--2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the clip used in combination with the legs to removably secure the chairs to the underside of the table; and

Figure 5 is a side elevational View of the clip in an open position.

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maice Referring. now to the drawings in detail, the letter T generallyV designates a table which mayv bemade: from any material suitable for making tables, such: as metal or wood, solong; as thetable is of a squareor rectangular configuration. The table T is comprised of the usual top 10 and side frames 1-2 surrounding the top. The side frames 12 are of sucient depthv to retain a pail` of chairs superposed one on top of the other asV described hereinafter. In the event that the table is-made offwood or a similar material, re-inforcing members 14- are secured to the side frames 12 and the top 10.

The table comprising my invention, has the usual four (4). legs 16 pivotally secured as by hinge' fasteners I8 well known in the art, adjacent each of the corners of the table. The legs 16V are the type which fold' in a direction alongside the side framesV 12 of the table and" at rightV angles toV each other, the construction of which is well known in the art.. Each of the legs 16 is shorter than the side frame 12 of the table as can be best seen in Figure l of the drawings. Secured to the side frames l2 adjacent each end of the table are channel bars 20 which run. in ay direction towardsthe end of eachof the legs. The channel bars are of alength. shorter than where the legs 16 terminate; Although I have shown (Fig, l) four (4) channel bars, nonetheless, only two channel bars are necessary.

Secured to each of the channel bars 2G is a clip 221comprising a` plate 24 and two- (2;) curved arms 26: at. one end thereof. Intermediate the arms 26.' is a resilient tongue 2S. Pivotally secured between arms 26. andthe resilient tonguev 28 of the plate 24 is a. lug 30. which forms one. endof'` a snapA fastener 32. The end of the fastener 32. ist turned upward inV order topermit itzto. he easily grasped. The. baseV 34 of theffastener 32- isfinthe same plane as the plate 24. Y

The plate 24 is also provided with an opening 36 which secures the plate 24 to the channel bar 20. The clip may be made from any metallic material so long as the arms 26 and tongue 2S are sulciently resilient to permit the lug 39 and fastener to pivot therebetween and to retain the fastener 32 in an open or closed position.

The letter C generally designates chairs contemplated to be removably secured to the underside of the table. My invention contemplates the storing of a maximum of four chairs to the underside of the table T. Each of the chairs is preferably identical in construction and is of the usual type of chair wherein the seat 38 folds up along the back support of the chair which at the same time draws the legs 4i) together. This form of chair is and has been well known in the art for a long number of years. The chair C should be of suflicient length as to be readily received between the two opposite frames 12 of the table with some room for clearance. The bottom of the legs 40 and the top of the back rest 42 should be of suicient length so that when the chairs are placed into the underside of the table, the legs 16 of the table, when they are folded, will be superposed over a portion of the top of the back rest 42 and the bottom of the legs 40.

The chairs are removably secured to the underside of the table 10 and bottom of the side frames 12 by merely folding the chairs, then inserting one of the chairs on one side of the table so that the seat 38 is facing downward towards the underside of the top 10 of the table T as best shown in Figure 2. One side of the chair should rest adjacent one of the side frames 12 of the table T. Another chair is then taken and oisetly placed over the chair already itted into the underside of the table in a manner so that the legs 40 are oifset one from the other as best shown in Figure 3, which means that the seat 38 of the chair C is the exposed portion of the chair. The

additional chairs.

The legs of the table are then folded, as shown in Figure l, and the fastener 32 is then pivoted until the base 34 rests on top of one end of the leg which, of course, x'estrainsV the leg from opening.' Thus, it can Vbe seen that the legs of one side of the chairs are retained -by the channelbars 20 and the other side of the legs of the chairs are retained by the legs 16 which act to hold them in position when the clip is placed in a closed position.

Thus, it can be seen that l have provided a combination of chairs and table wherein the chairs fit to the underside ofthe table and within the side frames of the table by using the foldable legs in combination with a channel bar on which a clip is mounted to secure the legs in a closed position when the plurality of chairs are stored within the underside of the table. Asv can be readily seen, this novel method and means for storing the chairs to the Yunderside of the table does not require revision of normal manufacture of chairs and table. VThe only addition required is that of channel bars placed adajcent each end 'of the table to which is attached a clip. This, of course,

makes it possible to inexpensively manufacture andV assemble the combination of chairs and table without:V

adding substantially to its weight or bulk.

While I have shown a preferred type of construction lin detail, it will be apparent that other variations within Vthe scope of the invention might be devised. It is therefore not intended that the invention be limited to the; vexact details of the described method of construction nor otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

. I clairn:

, 1. In a self storing table and four chairs combination .in which the chairs are so proportioned that pairs of them :will nest back to back and the two pairs will rest side by side in back of the table top with two of the table legs oppositely overlapping a portion of the folded chairs, a storage locking mechanism comprising. in combination, a channel'adjacent the foot of a table leg when folded,

and a locking clip secured at its base to the channel and characterized by a tongue which selectively engages the 2. In a self storing table and folding chair combination Y in which the chairs are so proportioned that a pair of chairs will nest back to back when folded within the back of the table top with two of thertable legs overlapping a portion of the folded chairs', a storage locking mechanism comprising, in combination, a channel adjacent the foot of a table leg when folded, and a locking clip characterized by means for selectively locking a table leg to its adjacent channel thereby securing the overlapped chair portions.

3. A self storing folding leg table and chair combination comprising, in combination, a table with depending flanges and a central rib on its underside defining two pockets, folding chairs which are proportioned to nest inrpairs within the table pockets overlapped partially by theperimetrically folding legs ofthe table, a channelV securedto the table adjacent two of the table legs at Ythe foot of the legs defining a gap between the leg and Y channel, and a lock proportioned and oriented to removably span the gap between the tableY legs and channels thereby locking the nested chairs within the table.

4. A lock for use with a table and chair combination of the character dened in claim 3 above having a body portion adapted to be secured to the channel, a VtongueVV V1,183,502 stockha'm May 16,71916 1,992,434 Kosanek Feb. 26, 1935 2,109,869 Ross Mar. l, 1938 2,461,385 Logue Feb. 8, 1949 

